Former Attorney General and Democratic Party leader Justin Muturi has sharply criticised ODM leader Raila Odinga’s recent defence of his pact with President William Ruto, dismissing Raila’s remarks as reckless and dangerous.
On Monday, Raila told ODM legislators that it was “better to have a bad government than none at all,” arguing that his compromise with Ruto was necessary to prevent the country from collapsing in the wake of the 2024 Gen Z-led protests.
But Muturi, in a statement on Tuesday, accused Raila of legitimising impunity and misleading Kenyans into accepting corruption and misrule as inevitable.
“When Raila Odinga and ODM argue that ‘it is better to have a bad government than none at all,’ they are dangerously wrong. The statement is meant to stoke fear, to lull citizens into accepting mediocrity and even grand corruption as the natural order of things,” Muturi said.
The former AG likened Raila’s position to telling a family whose house is on fire not to complain because at least they still have a roof, even if it is about to collapse on them.
He argued that bad governments are not harmless placeholders but “predatory machines” that loot, repress, and suffocate hope for a better future.
Muturi also dismissed Raila’s suggestion that delegitimising a regime risks a dangerous power vacuum, pointing to Nepal as an example where civic movements and citizens used periods of political turbulence to demand accountability and draft a new democratic order.
“Kenya is not a stateless society that collapses if one president or regime is delegitimised,” Muturi said, adding that Article 134 of the Constitution ensures continuity in executive functions, while Parliament, county governments, the judiciary, and civil service remain operational.
He further warned that accepting “bad governments” normalizes theft and emboldens cartels. “A bad government tells its cronies, ‘Go ahead, steal more; no one will stop you.’ It institutionalises impunity and erodes accountability,” he said.
Muturi, who also served as Speaker of the National Assembly, urged citizens to reject fear-based narratives and hold leaders accountable, insisting that compromise should not come at the cost of entrenching corruption.
“Kenya is not a stateless society that collapses if one president or one regime is delegitimised. Article 134 of the Constitution ensures continuity in executive functions. Parliament remains in place. County governments continue to function. The judiciary remains operational. Civil servants still run hospitals, schools, and essential services.”
He added;
“Let us be brutally honest. A bad government does not simply mismanage resources. It institutionalises theft. It tells its cronies, “Go ahead, steal more; no one will stop you.” It emboldens cartels that siphon public money meant for hospitals, schools, and roads. It creates a culture of impunity where abductors and killers in state uniforms can silence dissent without consequence.”
by GEOFFREY MOSOKU
